Packet buffering

Abstract

A first device as a buffer server in an Ethernet transmits a first buffer client querying packet from a port of enabling a distributed buffer function of the first device, receives a first buffer client registering packet from a second device through the port, and adds the second device into a distributed buffer group of the port. When the first device detects that a sum of sizes of packets entering the port and not transmitted reaches a preset first flow-splitting threshold in a first preset time period, the first device forwards a packet entering the port and not transmitted to a buffer client selected from the distributed buffer group of the port.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A packet buffering method, comprising:
 transmitting, by a first device as a buffer server in an Ethernet, a first buffer client querying packet from a port of enabling a distributed buffer function of the first device; 
 receiving, by the first device, a first buffer client registering packet from a second device through the port, adding the second device into a distributed buffer group of the port; and 
 forwarding, by the first device to a buffer client selected from the distributed buffer group of the port, a packet entering the port and not transmitted when the first device detects that a sum of sizes of packets entering the port and not transmitted reaches a preset first flow-splitting threshold in a first preset time period. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , comprising:
 after the first device detects that the sum of the sizes of the packets entering the port and not transmitted reaches the preset first flow-splitting threshold in the first preset time period, stopping forwarding the packet entering the port and not transmitted to the selected buffer client when the first device detects in a second preset time period that the sum of the sizes of the packets entering the port and not transmitted is lower than a preset second flow-splitting threshold. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first buffer client querying packet carries a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Identifier (ID) of the first device;
 the first buffer client registering packet carries a VLAN ID of the second device used for the distributed buffer function; and 
 the process of forwarding to the buffer client selected from the distributed buffer group of the port and not transmitted comprises: 
 adding the VLAN ID of the second device used for the distributed buffer function into the packet, and forwarding the packet to the selected buffer client. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the first buffer client registering packet further carries a size of a distributed buffer area reserved for the first device in a common buffer pool (CBP) of the second device. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the first device, a buffer client leaving packet from the second device, transmitting a second buffer client querying packet to the second device, starting a responding timer; and 
 deleting, by the first device, the second device from the distributed buffer group of the port when a second buffer client registering packet from the second device is not received before the responding timer expires. 
 
     
     
       6. A packet buffering method, comprising:
 after receiving a buffer client querying packet from a first device as a buffer server, reserving, by a second device, a distributed buffer area in a common buffer pool (CBP) for the first device, transmitting a buffer client registering packet to the first device; 
 receiving, by the second device, a packet from the first device, determining whether the packet is a distributed buffer packet, buffering the packet in the distributed buffer area when the packet is the distributed buffer packet. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein determining whether the packet is the distributed buffer packet comprises:
 determining whether the packet carries a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Identifier (ID) of the second device used for a distributed buffer function; 
 when the packet carries the VLAN ID of the second device used for the distributed buffer function, determining that the packet is the distributed buffer packet. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6 , comprising:
 after the second device buffers the packet in the distributed buffer area, returning the packet to the first device after the second device waits for a buffer time period from a time point of returning a previously-buffered packet to the first device. 
 
     
     
       9. A packet buffer apparatus, applying to a first device as a buffer server in an Ethernet, comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: 
 transmit a buffer client querying packet from a port of enabling a distributed buffer function of the first device, receive a buffer client registering packet from a second device through the port, add the second device into a distributed buffer group of the port; and 
 forward to a buffer client selected from the distributed buffer group of the port, a packet entering the port and not transmitted when the first device detects that a sum of sizes of packets entering the port and not transmitted reaches a preset first flow-splitting threshold in a first preset time period. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor cause the apparatus to: after the first device detects that the sum of the sizes of the packets entering the port and not transmitted reaches the preset first flow-splitting threshold in the first preset time period, stop forwarding the packet entering the port and not transmitted to the selected buffer client when the first device detects in a second preset time period that the sum of the sizes of the packets entering the port and not transmitted is lower than a preset second flow-splitting threshold. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the buffer client querying packet carries a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Identifier (ID) of the first device;
 the buffer client registering packet carries a VLAN ID of the second device used for the distributed buffer function; and 
 instructions executable by the processor cause the apparatus to: add the VLAN ID of the second device used for the distributed buffer function into the packet, and forward the packet to the selected buffer client. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the buffer client registering packet further carries a size of a distributed buffer area reserved for the first device in a common buffer pool (CBP) of the second device. 
     
     
       13. A packet buffering apparatus, comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions, the instructions executable by the processor to cause the apparatus to: 
 after receiving a buffer client querying packet from a first device as a buffer server, reserve a distributed buffer area in a common buffer pool (CBP) of a second device including the packet buffering apparatus for the first device, and transmit a buffer client registering packet to the first device; 
 receive a packet from the first device, determine whether the packet is a distributed buffer packet, and buffer the packet in the distributed buffer area when the packet is the distributed buffer packet. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor cause the apparatus to: determine whether the packet carries a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Identifier (ID) of the second device used for a distributed buffer function, when the packet carries the VLAN ID of the second device used for a distributed buffer function, determine that the packet is the distributed buffer packet. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the instructions executable by the processor cause the apparatus to: after the second device buffers the packet in the distributed buffer area, return the packet to the first device after the second device waits for a buffer time period from a time point of returning a previously-buffered packet to the first device.